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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2016)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Friday, December 16, 2016 BRIEFLY PERS projected to take 30% of payroll The base rate set by the board for employer contributions the 2017-19 budget cycle is already at 20.8 percent. Although none of Oregon’s more than 900 government employers pays that rate, it is an indicator of upward trends — more than 3 percentage points greater than the current rate. Actual rates paid by employers hinge on the mix of employees hired before and after August 2003 – when lawmakers made pension benefits less generous for future workers — and the employer’s proportion of public safety employees, who qualify for greater benefits. The board on Sept. 30 set final rates for the 2017-19 budget cycle, which starts in mid-2017. Those figures are close to the preliminary rates projected about a year ago, so government employers have had time to prepare for the increases. Although the state budget cycle is for two years, virtually all local governments budget for a single year. The base rate actually By PETER WONG Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon’s public-pension contribution rate has an 80 percent likeli- hood of exceeding 30 percent of payroll within the next few years, according to an analysis presented to the system’s governing board. The projection was offered by Milliman, the firm that does the actuarial work for the Public Employees Retirement System, as the agency and lawmakers consider how they can deal with rising costs. Those increased payroll costs will mean less money available for other govern- ment services, or potentially higher taxes. The PERS board and agency staff say that policy changes are up to the Legis- lature, but through Milliman, they can analyze potential effects of various proposals. Milliman has offered such reports already. A legislative work group has reviewed proposals for the 2017 session, which gets down to business starting Feb. 6. would have been up to 29 percent, but the rate was “collared,” so the increase is spread out over the following two-year budget cycles in 2019-21 and 2021-23. Although government contribution rates are limited this cycle, the PERS board said the full amounts are necessary to make up the gap between investment earnings — which account for seven of every 10 dollars paid out — and promised pension benefits. Board Chairman John Thomas said Oregon has no intention of underfunding the system, unlike what has happened in states such as Illinois and New Jersey. “As a board we are going to continue to stay current with the actuarial liabilities, as far as promised benefits are concerned,” Thomas said. Still, a combination of factors has led to a growing long-term actuarial liability of $22 billion for Oregon PERS and a decrease in funded status to 71 percent as of the end of 2015. Funded status was 96 percent at the end of 2013, when lawmakers made further changes in the system, and 84 percent at the end of 2014. A 2015 decision by the Oregon Supreme Court struck down the heart of 2013 legis- lation that would have pared cost-of-living increases for about 130,000 current retirees. The court ruled that the reduc- tions cannot be applied to benefits earned before 2013, so $5 billion in projected long- term savings were nullified. The court upheld a provision barring out-of-state retirees from collecting payments intended to offset Oregon taxes on their pensions. But that provision will result in a fraction of the savings envisioned from the reduced cost-of-living payments. Among other factors in Oregon PERS growing liability are investment returns lagging behind the assumed rate of 7.5 percent for the next two years — the board dropped the rate in 2015 from 7.75 percent — and updated mortality tables based on retirees living longer. Audit faults water resources dept. data collection use reporting, the department lacks data altogether, the audit found. “Only about 20 percent of water rights holders are required to report how much water they use to (the water resources department),” the audit states. Agricultural users — who account for up to 85 percent of the state’s water use — aren’t required to report how much they use. As a result, the department lacks “a clear understanding of how much water is actually being used,” the audit states. Additionally, the depart- ment has focused more on collecting data on surface water than groundwater, demand for which is growing. The audit also recom- mended the department adopt an overarching plan to set long-term water goals, and improve communication and how it manages its workload. Finally, the audit noted that planning is key to managing the state’s water in the long run. By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — An audit released Thursday by the Secretary of State’s Office calls on the state’s Water Resources Department to improve its long-term planning and management of Oregon’s water supply. The department is respon- sible for allocating water rights, enforcing the state’s water laws and other aspects of water management. It’s overseen by a citizen commission. Noting that the state’s water problems are positioned to worsen, the secretary of state’s findings say the department could do more to “sustain current and future water needs,” protect groundwater, and collect and analyze infor- mation about the state’s water. The audit comes on the heels of the governor’s 2015 county drought declarations and state efforts to prioritize water issues in their wake. A legislative drought task Sean Ellis/EO Media Group A sugar beet field in Eastern Oregon is irrigated in June. An audit released Thursday by the Secretary of State’s Office calls on the state’s Water Resources Department to improve its long-term planning and management of Oregon’s water supply. force recently identified gaps in the state’s systems and resources for preventing and responding to drought. While the water resources department gathers a lot of information about water supply, the department hasn’t been able to analyze all of it, the audit found. For example, the depart- ment’s water availability models are based on decades-old data, although the department has 17 years’ worth of information about streamflow measurement collected after 1987. In other areas of water management, such as water Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255 before noon Tuesday through Friday or before 10 a.m. Saturday for same-day redelivery 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday Copyright © 2016, EO Media Group SATURDAY Partly sunny, fl urries; frigid Very cold with some sun 15° ؏4° 14° SUNDAY MONDAY Partly sunny and very cold Cloudy and chilly PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 7° 28° 24° 38° 33° 39° 30° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 15° 20° ؏2° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 20° 15° 39° 26° 67° (1959) -18° (1919) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.58" 1.29" 0.70" 12.59" 9.39" 12.21" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 24° 39° 68° (1939) 19° 27° -7° (1932) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date 0.64" 0.87" 0.76" 8.77" 6.50" 9.26" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New Dec 20 Dec 28 First Jan 5 22° 16° 37° 32° 40° 31° Seattle 33/22 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 7° 7:30 a.m. 4:12 p.m. 7:44 p.m. 9:40 a.m. Full Jan 12 Today TUESDAY Cloudy with a bit of snow Spokane Wenatchee 12/-6 18/6 Tacoma Moses 33/17 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 18/-2 11/-5 36/22 33/19 23/-3 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 33/21 Lewiston 14/0 18/0 Astoria 20/3 39/26 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 33/21 Pendleton 20/-8 The Dalles 20/-2 15/-4 23/6 La Grande Salem 20/-6 33/20 Albany Corvallis 33/21 33/20 John Day 22/-3 Ontario Eugene Bend 28/1 34/18 19/-1 Caldwell Burns 30/5 22/-10 Astoria Baker City Bend Brookings Burns Enterprise Eugene Heppner Hermiston John Day Klamath Falls La Grande Meacham Medford Newport North Bend Ontario Pasco Pendleton Portland Redmond Salem Spokane Ukiah Vancouver Walla Walla Yakima Hi 39 18 19 47 22 20 34 17 20 22 31 20 16 41 40 44 28 18 15 33 21 33 12 14 34 14 23 Lo 26 -9 -1 31 -10 -8 18 -4 -2 -3 8 -6 -9 24 29 30 1 1 -4 21 -7 20 -6 -11 21 0 -3 W pc pc pc s pc sn s sf sf sf pc pc sf s pc s sn s sf s pc s s sf s sf s Hi 42 9 25 46 17 12 37 18 15 22 30 17 17 38 40 46 14 15 14 34 24 34 10 16 33 13 19 Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Boardman Pendleton Lo 33 -6 10 34 -1 3 25 10 7 13 13 7 5 23 35 33 -1 4 7 31 5 29 0 6 29 7 3 W c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc c c pc c pc pc sf pc pc pc pc sf pc pc Hi 43 65 53 52 73 12 50 56 35 77 49 Lo 21 59 44 42 51 10 35 36 26 70 39 W pc pc pc pc pc c pc s s sh pc Sat. Hi 47 69 53 50 74 24 45 55 49 89 56 Lo 22 66 44 38 50 22 36 35 37 65 43 W pc pc pc pc pc sn c s pc t s REGIONAL FORECAST Eastern Washington: Sunshine and patchy clouds today. Patchy clouds tonight. Clouds and sun tomorrow. Cascades: Chilly today with some sun; a couple of fl urries in the south. Northern California: Cooler today with times of clouds and sun. Cold tonight. Mostly sunny tomorrow. Today Saturday NNE 3-6 NW 6-12 NE 3-6 WNW 4-8 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. Coastal Oregon: Sunshine and patchy clouds today. Clear to partly cloudy and chilly tonight. Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and sun to- day. A bit of snow in the south and upper Treasure Valley; fl urries across the north and in central parts. Western Washington: Partly sunny today. Partly cloudy tonight. James Manning appointed to Oregon Senate seat EUGENE (AP) — Lane County commissioners appointed James Manning as the new state senator for much of Eugene and Junction City. The Register-Guard reports Wednesday’s 3-2 vote was a shock because Manning had been the third choice of local Democratic Party officials. Manning replaces state Sen. Chris Edwards, a Democrat who is resigning at the end of the year for an administrative job at the University of Oregon. Manning will serve out the last two years of Edwards’ term. 0 1 1 1 0 Roseburg Forest Products, union agree to new pact ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) — Roseburg Forest Products and its union workers have reached a deal on a new contract. The News-Review reports the previous contract expired in June, and work had been continuing under that agreement. Union workers previously took issue with mandatory overtime shifts and frozen pensions in previous contracts. They rallied at company headquarters in Springfield at least twice earlier this year. Specifics of the new contract have not been released. It affects nearly 2,000 employees, mostly in Douglas and Coos counties. Corrections The Wednesday article “Project Exploration looks at Pendleton future” misstated one of the projects the city of Pendleton/Pendleton Development Commission helped fund. It was the Westgate interchange. The East Orego- nian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 • fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers in at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. WORLD CITIES (in mph) Klamath Falls 31/8 ALBANY (AP) — Sheriff’s detectives in Linn County are investigating the death of a man whose body was covered by a thin layer of snow. Sheriff Bruce Riley says deputies and detectives responded Wednesday night after a caller reported that a stranger was deceased in his driveway east of Albany. There was no sign of foul play. The sheriff says the man’s wallet contained cash but no photo identification. No abandoned vehicle was in the area. Riley described the body as that of a middle- aged man. He was about 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, and had brown hair, hazel eyes and a full, gray beard. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Linn County Sheriff’s Office at 541-967- 3950. NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Sat. WINDS Medford 41/24 PORTLAND (AP) — The Portland City Council voted to ban new bulk fossil fuel storage facilities in the city. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports it was one of several bills approved Wednesday that attempt to reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The new zoning change bans new fossil fuel storage facilities in excess of 2 million gallons and limits existing terminals from expanding in size. The move comes at a time when energy companies have proposed building coal, petroleum and liquefied natural gas export terminals in the Northwest to better reach Asian markets. The council also adopted an electric vehicle policy that aims to put 50,000 electric vehicles on city streets by 2030, and voted to require home energy audits when houses are placed on the market. REGIONAL CITIES Forecast TODAY Body found in snowy driveway near Albany Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Terri Briggs 541-278-2678 • tbriggs@eastoregonian.com • Elizabeth Freemantle 541-278-2683 • efreemantle@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Chris McClellan 541-966-0827 • cmcclellan@eastoregonian.com • Stephanie Newsom 541-278-2687 • snewsom@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — Council bans new bulk fossil fuel terminals 0 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 0-2, Low 3-5, Moderate 6-7, High; 8-10, Very High; 11+, Extreme The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num- ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016 -10s -0s showers t-storms 0s 10s rain 20s flurries 30s 40s snow ice 50s 60s cold front 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low National Summary: A storm will spread snow along a 1,200-mile-long swath from the northern Rockies to the Great Lakes today. As drenching rain exits California, showers will soak parts of the Four Corners states. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 83° in Miami, Fla. Low -24° in Fosston, Minn. NATIONAL CITIES Today Albuquerque Atlanta Atlantic City Baltimore Billings Birmingham Boise Boston Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit El Paso Fairbanks Fargo Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Hi 59 46 32 30 4 55 30 18 50 36 21 22 72 45 21 72 9 6 78 73 28 69 38 65 49 61 Lo 41 37 24 24 -21 50 4 17 45 34 20 22 58 -6 19 56 3 -6 69 70 26 57 23 41 49 44 W c pc pc pc sn pc sn s s c sn c c pc sn pc pc sn c r c pc c sh r sh Sat. Hi 44 65 51 47 2 71 20 39 75 61 29 48 73 7 35 60 13 -4 80 80 49 81 24 48 71 60 Lo 21 60 49 43 -2 49 5 37 61 45 -1 28 20 -5 17 30 3 -23 69 41 14 60 -4 30 28 43 Today W c c r i s c c sn c r sn r c sn sn pc sn pc r c r pc sn s r s Louisville Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York City Oklahoma City Omaha Philadelphia Phoenix Portland, ME Providence Raleigh Rapid City Reno Sacramento St. Louis Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco Seattle Tucson Washington, DC Wichita Hi 37 51 80 25 16 48 69 28 67 32 29 72 13 20 38 7 43 51 35 50 63 54 33 71 31 58 Lo 36 50 72 23 6 44 64 27 37 12 26 45 8 15 28 -15 16 32 33 19 47 40 22 48 28 24 W c r pc sn sn c pc pc c sn pc sh s s s sn sf c c r r pc pc c pc c Sat. Hi 62 73 84 28 7 69 77 44 37 12 47 59 33 44 56 -5 39 49 48 25 60 52 33 56 52 25 Lo 27 28 75 3 -21 30 60 42 8 -11 44 38 28 39 53 -16 16 27 4 13 43 38 30 30 49 -1 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W r r pc sn sn r pc sn sn sn i s sn sn c pc pc pc r pc s s sf s i sn
